PAEDIATRICIAN:
- Postpartum
Depression (2020) This Hungarian brutal
death metal band has slipped under my radar despite this being their
6th full length album, and they're actually quite good. A big mixture
of fast blasting parts that are a little more grindcore, and then
chromatic slow parts that are the mainstay of the "brutal" subgenre.
Vocals are ridiculously unintelligible, even for the genre. Lots of pig
squeals, this guy's larynx must hurt after this stuff. The riffs do
tend to blend together, but as a single work of art the brutality is
unquestionable, the mix is tight, and I am most thoroughly entertained.
PANTERA:
- Cowboys From Hell (1990) The sound is razor sharp, the riffs are fresh
and brutal, the leads are spectacular. The production is great, but
still a
little soft (wait till their next album). Pretty much every song on the
album is the best song.
- Cowboys From Hell The Videos (1991, Video) 3 music videos, 2 live songs (which are
well produced), and tons of home videos of the band on tour, destroying
things and drinking. Not much else to say really. About 40 minutes long.
- Vulgar Display Of Power (1992) They knocked the brutality up a notch with this
album. The sound is harsher, Phil's vocals are harsher, the guitar tone
is enough to crush a group of things that don't crush too well (how's
that for a
metaphor <G>) A must buy.
- Vulgar Videos (1993, Video) 3 music videos, 2 live songs, and an
extra 40 minutes (extra compared to their last video) of breaking
things and
drinking. I don't know, fun to watch, but do we really need to see
people
breaking things when we could be spending the time breaking things on
our
own?
- Far Beyond Driven (1994) Another must buy. I didn't think the sound
could get more brutal, but it did. Phil's vocals now border on death,
the sound is more industrial. The production isn't as polished as the
last album,
but the raw sound is so powerfully mixed you won't care. Some of the
strangest sounds I've ever heard on an album (thanks to Diamond
Darrell's whammy
pedal)
- Planet Caravan EP (1994) 4 song EP, 'Planet Caravan', followed by 'The
Badge' (previously only available on the Crow soundtrack) and then 'A
New Level' and 'Becoming' live. The live tracks have excellent
production, and since these are my two favorite Pantera songs, it makes
this a must have EP.
- The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) Not as good as their last two albums, but this
album still proves Pantera can't release a bad album (unless you count
their
glam days prior to "Cowboys From Hell") The songs are a bit slower and
a bit more experimental, but brutality is still high on their agenda.
- Official Live: 101 Proof (1997) First, you have to keep in mind that it's
physically impossible to actually replicate a Pantera concert on a CD,
simply because there is no house out there with a speaker system large
enough to compare with the brutal sonic onslaught you'll get hearing
the band live. But this comes pretty close. The production is
excellent, lots of in between song banter, the album clocks in with
almost 76 minutes and 14 tracks of brutal music. Most of the classic
songs are here, although I wish it had been a
double CD so they could have included a few more tracks. There is no
such
thing as too much Pantera in my opinion. The 2 studio tracks on the
album
are ok, nothing special.
- Pantera 3: Watch It Go (1997, Video) Two hours of home video footage of the
band on tour. There are crazy fans, sex, drugs, beer, breasts, people
destroying things, people blowing things up...interestingly enough,
there's very little music on the video. Four music videos and some live
clips. It's entertaining to watch, but I wish they would have included
some live songs. A feast
for those of you with a really short attention span.
- 3 Vulgar Videos From Hell (1999, DVD) Their 3 previous videos now on one single
DVD + 10 minutes of live footage from the monsters of rock tour, 3
minutes
of which was already on Vulgar Videos. Good for the collector so you
can
have all three of their videos for one low price in a digital format,
otherwise, not much point.
- Reinventing the Steel (2000) It's been a 4 year wait, and finally a new
Pantera album. What has the band been doing for 4 years? Well,
certainly not reinventing themselves, this cd is similar to their last
cd in lots of ways, riffs,
style, production, even the booklet looks the same. Not a bad thing
necessarily, they were good then, and this cd goes to show the band is
still doing fine, still abrasive and angry, although I do feel it's
missing something. It's still a good album, I think the problem is this
cd in relation to the current metal scene. It's just Pantera was
unbelievably heavy, and in the last 4 years, other bands have learned
how to sound even heavier, and so by standing still, Pantera now is
just part of the pack instead of a leader. But all fans should still
pick this up, the riffs and hooks pantera are famous for, grabbing your
ears and not letting go, they're all here.
PAROXYSM:
- ...A
Plague Called Addiction (2007, EP) Sort of
a cross between Meshuggah and Despised Icon. Or, if you know the
Australian metal scene, very similar to Devolved or Synthetic Breed.
The riffs are in the math metal style, lots of odd rhythms with
straight 4/4 drumming overtop (the kick stays with the guitars). A
super tight guitar tone gives it that computerized feel. A few of the
riffs go for that death-core style that Despised Icon is known for.
Vocals are low growled and then shrieked. The music also used
keyboards, samples, and spacy synth guitar to give a certain degree of
melody to the music, their second track 'Afflicted Days' uses it
particularly well. I really dig this EP, and if you love any of the
bands mentioned, you'll dig this too, my only concern is the lack of
originality. The group obviously can write good riffs, they have a nice
sense of melody and are they are tight as fuck, but they'll need
something just a tiny bit different to stand out from their influences.
Can't wait for the debut album.
PATHOLOGY:
- Incisions
Of Perverse Debauchery (2008) While
Disgorge was never my favorite band, I have to admit I kinda miss them
ever since they went on hiatus, and Pathology has just enough of that
same style to remind me of how much I enjoy good low gargling death
metal. These songs are generally a little more easy to follow than
Disgorge, and many of the riffs are a bit catchier, but overall it's
the same general idea, super low vocals, lots of blasting and tremolo
picking mixed with a few chunkier bits. Productionwise, this album was
recorded during a 6 month period, and sadly it shows, you can really
hear the sound waver between songs, a few have a tiny bit too much
treble, and a few have a tiny bit too much bass, but overall it's good
quality. My favorite song is 'Lycantropy Of Dead Flesh', it starts with
a nice start / stop riff (with doublebass underneath), reminds me of
old Broken Hope, and in the middle there's some nice breakdowns sorta
reminiscent of Dying Fetus in it's heyday. This band may not be
anything revolutionary, but it's good quality death metal and worth
checking out.
- Age Of Onset
(2009) After a decent but uneven first album, this album shows a lot of
improvement. The production quality is even throughout all the songs
(this album was only recorded in a 2 month period instead of 6). The
riffs are a touch more
memorable than last time, and the songs feel even more like songs, and
less like a random collection of riffs. That said, the band's core
style certainly hasn't changed. The biggest negative is that the album
is really short, like 25min or so. Overall though I enjoyed this album
for what it is, some decent songs well performed. Worth picking up.
- Legacy
Of The Ancients (2010) Wow, talk about a short period between
albums (although since their last album was only 25min long, one could
argue that it was more of an EP). Overall, this new one is another step
forward for the band. The production quality is about the same. The
riffs are really, really solid, with plenty of excellent hooks, the
song writing just gets better and better with these guys. Again, the
album is a short one, maybe 30min this time, but the shorter length
helps since there's not a lot of variety to the album. If you're into
this general style of music, Pathology is one of the best in the genre
currently, and this album is well worth owning.
- Awaken
To The Suffering (2011) Generally similar to their last album.
The production goes up another notch, everything sounds a little
cleaner, and while I certainly never though of their previous album as
muffled, it is in comparison to this one, which has a really excellent
mix. Style-wise, nothing all that different here. Although the band
does experiment with, dare I say, a deathcore breakdown in their super
short 1 minute song "Prolonging The Suffering". Thankfully, no sung
vocals or anything :) The songs on this one I have to say aren't quite
as good as their last release, they just don't have quite as many
standout riffs to hook the listener. Good quality, but I think I'll
listen to their previous albums more.
- The
Time Of Great Purification (2012) Man, talk about the hardest
working band in death metal. At least album wise, these guys have a new
CD out every single year for the last 5 years. Are they just song
writing machines? Don't worry guys, if you skip a year, we'll still
remember you. Anyways, with so many albums out in such a short period
of time, the main worry would be that the songs just aren't as well
crafted as they would be if the band took a little more time, but at
least on this album, the songs are doing just fine. Plenty of good
standout riffs. While the production just kept getting better on their
other albums, this one just sorta takes a step sideways, which is fine,
the mix is already so good I'm not sure there would be any way to move
forward. The sound is a little less scooped and is a little cleaner,
which makes hearing everything easier, but I think I preferred the
slight grit from their last album. Stylewise, nothing's changed,
they're still the same Pathology. Expect another shortish one, about 30
min with many songs being only 2 min or so. While nothing
revolutionary, this is
another solid album that will be enjoyed by all fans of the band.
- Lords
of Rephaim (2013) It's that time of year, time for a new
Pathology album! The results are excellent as usual, there really isn't
much to say, the band keep producing a very similar album again and
again, so if you dug their earlier stuff, you're gonna dig this. While
I still wish for maybe something a little more unique or a little more
variety to the songs, what you get is a solid death metal album from
the most consistent band in the genre. So lets not kid ourselves and
expect something else, we all know what this band does, they do it
well, and here's their yearly update to the Pathology catalog.
- Throne
of Reign (2014) Really, is there any reason to review this
album? It's identical to their previous music in every way except how
it was funded and released, since the band used Kickstarter this time.
But otherwise, it's basically the same stuff. They may have
gone slightly more trebly this time in the mix, and the drums are a
little more mechanical than usual, but otherwise, you get what you pay
for in a Pathology album. No surprises.
- Pathology
(2017) After a 3 year break (they managed to release a yearly album for
7 years in a row), the band is back with a self titled album. Self
titled albums are generally reserved for an album the band feels sums
up the band's experience as a whole, and I suppose this qualifies. But
then again, considering the consistency of the band, I think all of
their albums qualify. No surprises, gargly death metal with fast drums
and moshable bits. Straight forward 4:4, some good riffs, some filler,
a very solid release but nothing instantly classic. Enjoyable just like
their other stuff, lets see if they start annual albums again.
- Reborn
To Kill (2019) A bit of a departure for the band. And by that I
mean, 95% of the stuff is the same, gargled vocals, big thick
production, heavy riffs. There are a few acoustic intros and almost
symphonic elements that show the band is experimenting a bit. But the
big departure is the drums. No fast doublebass. Like at all. Like it
might be somewhere but if it is there, I totally missed it. I assume
this choice was to try something a little different (or Dave Astor's
legs were hurting), but by removing that trick from the arsenal, you
have basically two beats for the whole album, skank beats and suffo
blasts. And that gets a little old. The band's songs already tend to
bleed together somewhat, so simplifying further just increases the
blend. Anyways, despite this one issue, the riffs are generally strong.
And its well performed. But ya, not digging this as much as previous
efforts.
- The
Everlasting Plague (2021) Like their last album, a little bit of
a mixed bag. The core elements are there, but also a few more symphonic
elements. Thankfully, while not as crazy as older albums, the drums are
more varied this time with some slower parts but also faster parts, and
the double bass has returned. They have more "melodic" riffs in this
one, some of them work, but others seem a little generic. Best song on
the album is 'Viciously Defiled', which has some nice tapped riffs
followed by heavy chunky bits. Expriments like 'As The Entrails Wither'
I don't think are as successful, which has a strong blues vibe to it
(think Entombed's "Wolverine Blues"). It's a solid album, but I think
some of these songs aren't going to get a lot of replay, at least from
me. I'd rate it a good 7 out of 10.
- Unholy
Descent (2024) Much improved. This album focuses more on the
brutal aspects of the band (no more symphonic elements here), and in
general is just a catchy riff machine. Great songs that have some
technical aspects, but stay straight forward enough to headbang to. The
mix is excellent, very scooped sound, so the perfect mix of low and
highs to provide the best punch to the face. Overall one of their best
efforts in the past decade, fans of the band, especially old school
fans, should be plenty happy.
PATHWAYS:
- Harlot (2014, EP) Technical Djent Deathcore. So imagine
general djent Style breakdown-esque lower riffing with very noodly
neo-classical scale based stuff, lots of time signature changes, and
then super angry yelling over top. The production is great, the
musicianship superb, and its a lot of fun, but the riffs aren't
terribly memorable. If you dig Periphery and Volumes you may dig this,
but they do need to work on reducing the chaos a little to get
something that stick with you more. 5 song EP, also available in an
instrumental only version.
PEELINGFLESH:
- Slamaholics
Mixtape (2021, EP) Pretty standard brutal
death metal / slam with super slow chunky riffs and the occasional fast
blasting bits. This EP is short, 7 songs but only 13 minutes. If you
know the style, there isn't anything new here, but its done expertly
with maxmimum impact and gargles so low they will peel the paint off
your walls. A fun little EP.
- Human Pudding
(2022, EP) This is so similar to their last EP, you could easily
combine both of them into a single album and people may not be able to
tell where one ends and the other begins. But that's not a bad thing.
Slam done in an expert manner with super low guitars, inhuman vocals
sounds, high moshability, silly sound clips, all the fixins. If you dig
slam, this second short EP is just what the doctor ordered.
- PF Radio
(2023, EP) The EPs keep coming, and again, 4 tracks of high quality
slam. Lots of soundclips (not just at the beginning of a song, but all
throughout) that works well as signposts to differentiate the songs and
tell the audience where you are in the album. If you liked their first
two EPs, this one will equally impress.
- The G Code
(2024) First full length (??) from the band, it's 11 songs, but most
are so short that the whole album likely takes up max 20 minutes.
Pretty similar to the band's older material, well produced slam with
ridiculously gargled vocals. Expect
to hear the same slow sludgy chromatic riff played again and again, but
where the band gets creative is in how they spice it up, combining some
rap elements, sound clips, lots of guest vocals, even a DJ doing
scratching at one point. Now I've certainly heard metal and rap mixed
before, some do it well, many do it horribly. But I haven't heard much
Slam mixed with Rap, where the words are delivered as slow and plodding
as the riffs that are behind them, it almost turns them into chanting.
A really interesting sort of fusion. The album is short enough to keep
things fresh, and slam fans will love that snare
sound. Recommended.
PERIPHERY:
- Periphery (2010) Fans of Meshuggah, Mnemic, Synthetic Breed or
Textures will
know what to expect from this math-metal / progressive band. First, the
rhythm guitars and bassdrum are locked together in that well known
Meshuggah style of oddly counted start-stop riffs, while the snare and
hihat keep perfect 4/4 time. The drumsound is a little more mechanical
than Meshuggah though, think Devolved and you get the general idea. The
guitars alternate between the bassy rhythms and lightning fast scale
based flourishes, as well as plenty of Thordendal-esque dissonant alarm
chords, and spacy solos. The band keeps the variety going with the
occasional acoustic bit, as well as samples and keyboards. Vocal wise,
it's a mixture of midrange growls and sung stuff. The singing and
melodies remind me a bit of the band Extol if you've ever heard them,
and I think personally the sung vocals are the weakest part of the
band. They just lack oomph. They don't have any dirtiness to them, and
they also don't have much body to them in the way that, say, Devin
Townsend's vocals have thickness. They're ok, it's not like they
destroy the music, but I feel they could be stronger. Production wise,
this self produced CD is fantastic, with a large bassy sound and clear
highs. Overall the songs go plenty of places I wasn't initially
expecting, some good catchy hooks among the carnage. The album closes
with a long 15 minute epic. Periphery doesn't
get much for originality, but overall I enjoyed the CD, it's obvious
the group has talent. We'll see if they can find a little more of their
own voice for future releases.
- Periphery Instrumental (2010) Same as their new album, but all instrumental
(and only available on itunes). Since my main issue with the album is
the vocals, the vocal-less album in some ways is much better. Some of
the songs though do miss having vocals though, even vocals that aren't
perfect, but others work quite well as instrumentals on their own, like
the last 3 songs on the record. Worth looking into.
- Icarus Lives
(2011, EP) Random odds and ends surrounding the band's first album.
Starts with a short instrumental, that's more of a chugging intro that
a unique song. Next is 'Frakk The Gods', which the band describes as a
good indication of what the band will be doing for the next album.
Overall, it's pretty similar to the material from the first album. Then
a tweaked version of the band's song 'Jetpacks Was Yes!', the only real
difference is a lot more reverb and echo, and the vocals have slightly
different melodies. Then the album version of 'Icarus Lives', followed
by 3 remixes. The remixes are dance remixes, not harsh techno remixes
like from Fear Factory, so they're really not my thing, and will be
forever skipped in my iTunes. The album ends with 'Captain On' and
'Eureka', formerly only available if you bought the album in electronic
form from iTunes or amazon. Both are excellent songs. One nice thing is
some of the angry vocals on the newer songs are far better than the
originals. They just seem to have more body to them, rather than
sounding as hoarse. Also contains a DVD with music videos and such,
again, not my thing, so no real review. You'll probably only listen too
half of the album continuously, but it's worth buying for the 4 new /
rare songs if you don't have the rare songs already.
- Periphery II
(2012) Considering "Periphery I" was my favorite album of a few years
ago, this sequel had a lot to live up to. And it's done a decent job.
Obviously, a common problem with the second album from a band is they
had like 10 years to write and refine music for their debut album, but
only 1-2 years to write for the second, and so generally second albums
can be a bit of a let down. And this suffers a bit from that, but only
slightly. Periphery II has a lot more variety to it, some of the music
is much more pop influenced, there's more electronica overall, but
there are also some super heavy songs as well. Stand out parts include
the intro to 'Have A Blast', which just contains a completely sick
chord progression. I really like the song 'Ji', it's a bit lighter, but
has some cool chords and a nice rhythm solo section in the middle of
the song. Then you have some more "standard" songs like 'MAKE TOTAL
DESTROY', that fall very much into the type of music found on their
debut. And the album closer 'Masamune' has this super sick sludgy
ending to it which is a great way to end the album. I don't care much for the song 'Scarlet', it's the
most rockin song on the album and doesn't contain any interesting
twists. Vocals on this album are much
better than on the first, the growls sound thicker, and the singing has
a little extra body to them. Still not my favorite vocal style, but it
doesn't bug me as much as before. Overall, I really like this album, I
don't think it'll take the top spot in this year's top 10, but there's
a lot of aggression, melody, crazy chord progressions and a heavy dose
of variety to help keep all the songs distinct. Impressive work, I
think this band has a long career ahead of them.
- Clear
(2014, EP) What an awesome idea. Here's the premise. The band creates a
theme, and then all 6 members of the band write their own song around
the theme. Then the band plays all the songs and makes an EP. Since
this CD is so varied, I'll go song by song. Track 1 is a 2 minute
overture that gives us the 3 themes that will appear elsewhere on the
album. Then track 2 is written by guitarist Jake Bowen, and is
a really happy energetic song, with an excellent verse melody, in fact,
it may be one of the rare times I really like Spencer's vocals. Next
comes drummer Matt Halpern's song, which is my least favorite on the
album (feel free to add your own joke about how drummers can't write a
good melody). It just sounds too simple and derivative. Next is founder
and guitarist Misha Mansoor's song, which is a 6 minute instrumental,
excellent song, very complex and lots of changes to keep things
interesting. Next is vocalist Spencer Sotelo's song, which is probably
the heaviest on the album (surprising), maybe they should let Spencer
write more music for the band. I love the mix of ridiculously detuned
guitar and a dance drum beat ala Prong. Next is bass player Adam
"Nolly" Getgood's song, which is also instrumental, but is simpler and
super heavy with some really nice tribal drums. Reminds me a bit of
some of those old classic Testament instrumentals like 'Confusion
Fusion' or maybe a Rush instrumental, of course with super distorted
guitar. The final track is a pretty straight forward Periphery type
song written by guitarist Mark Holcomb, which has a really nice final
chorus, and some fast doublebass and blast beats. The thing I find
really sneaky about this album is because the themes they've
incorporated aren't obvious, but are hidden in the songs, they've
basically turned the album into a game of "find the riff". And so you
spend all this time really carefully listening to the songs. And of
course, by doing so you enjoy the songs more because you're really
concentrating on them. My only gripe is the CD has no booklet and is
completely transparent. It's a good art concept for an album named
"Clear", but it means you don't get any notes on who wrote the songs
and other interesting info that could have come with the album. I'm
sure not all of these songs will be loved by all fans of the band, but
I found this EP to have great music and a fantastic concept, and I
highly recommend it.
- Juggernaut
Alpha / Omega (2015) Despite the fact this album is sold as 2
separate albums (the last time I remember that was Guns And Roses 25
years ago), I will review this as a single album since its one
continuous story. Ever since the band's first album, there was
discussion of Juggernaut, an epic concept album telling a single story.
And here we are five years later with the result. While I'm not a fan
of every song on the double album, overall the results are great. A few
highlights, album "Alpha" starts with an appropriately dramatic intro
song, followed by a heavier song that I'm actually not a big fan of. It
just doesn't seem to go anywhere, its too mid tempo and random, and
ends with jazz? But track 3 hits hard with the band at its 'pop'iest,
which of course means a strange time signature mixed with with a strong
vocal hook. Then after something a little heavier, we hit the title
track which is probably my favorite song on the double album. Like
track 3, it has a strong vocal hook, but is a little heavier,
especially towards the end, and has some great chord progressions. Its
the kind of song you want to yell at the top of a mountain somewhere.
Rounding out the album is my favorite heavier song 'Rainbow Gravity'
which has the great chaotic start-stop riff with some great shouted
vocals. "Omega" is the overall heavier of the two albums, but the songs
that resonate with me the most are the ones with the stronger hooks,
namely 'Priestess' that has a nice acoustic intro, and 'Stranger
Things' with its nice chiming guitar intro followed up by a much
heavier composition. The second album title track 'Omega' should be
great, as its the longest song and the most epic composition, but I
find the pieces of the song don't gel very well, and aren't as
memorable as say 'Racecar' from their first album. Anyways, despite a
few songs not being my thing, this album has enough spectacular songs
that make it a must buy. Nice to see it finally surface after all the
teasing.
- Periphery
III: Select Difficulty (2016) Sorta the third album for the
band, but with 2 EPs and a double concept album as well, really their
counting is way off. Still, in many respects this is the successor to
their Periphery II album, 11 songs, a ton of variety in terms of feel
and atmosphere. The album starts with some heavier material, then
shifts into some poppier territory. A lot of the songs remind me a bit
more of their first album in terms of vocal melodies and riffs, which
is certainly not a bad thing. One thing I loved about Juggernaut is it
had like 3 songs right off the bat that were just spectacular, this
album doesn't have quite the same instant grab appeal, but after
multiple listens, I feel the songs overall are stronger, there may be a
few less high of highs, but there are fewer lows in terms of song
quality. There's really only one song I dislike with a passion, 'Catch
Fire', in which the vocalist goes way too far with the experimentation,
adding a rapping section and some whispered stuff that's just horrible.
Skip this track at all costs. Otherwise, 'Marigold' has an interesting
latin feel to it (if Latin music were commonly played with distorted
guitars), 'The Way The News Goes' is an oddity, it's basically a ballad
with clean guitars, but then jumps to these crazy fast blastbeats,
making it I believe the only ballad I've ever heard with blast beats.
'Remain Indoors' is probably my favorite song on the album, with this
offbeat main riff and epic layered guitar parts. Then they hit you with
'Habitual Line-Stepper' that starts with a fast pounding doublebass
part. I even dig the album closer 'Lune' a lot, at least until it
starts into the riff that sound identical to Radiohead's 'Creep'.
Overall, I think all fans of the band will dig this album, it's not
quite as instantly catchy as "Juggernaut", but it's stronger on
average, and a worthy addition to the collection.
- Periphery
IV: Hail Stan (2019) Probably the band's heaviest album to date.
Since there's a lot of complexity in the song styles here, I'll go
track by track. I'm used to many progressive albums ending with a giant
17 minute epic, but Periphery decides to go the bold move of starting
with a 17 minute epic song that wouldn't be out of place on a Dream
Theater album. Some parts of the song are too "broadway musical" to me,
more apt for a Between The Buried And Me album than Periphery, but some
of the later parts are heavy as shit. Then the next two songs are crazy
heavy, crushingly so, with detuned guitars, fast double bass and riffs
that just slam you in the face. 'Garden In The Bones' is a little more
balanced between the angry and the melodic, but still on the heavier
side. 'It's Only Smiles' is the first song on the album that's a little
more pop metal, taking the otherwise super heavy album in a new
direction. It's very catchy, but I think it crosses from melodic to
sappy a little too often. I'll let you decide if they went too far.
Then 'Crush' goes off into a really odd electronica direction.
Experimental for sure, but not a good track IMO, and for a song that's
mostly a single repeated riff, why did it need to be 7 minutes?
'Sentient Glow' is back to energetic and melodic, although is generally
forgettable. The album ends with a 10 minute ballad with heavier parts,
although I feel it isn't as catchy and memorable as the songs that ends
the band's last two albums. Overall, I like some of this material a
lot, some is only soso, my favorite parts tend to be the heavier bits
towards the beginning of the album. I think overall fans of the band
will dig it.
- Live
In London (2020, Live CD) Live CD of one of their recent shows.
The sound quality is great, and the performance is spot on, but I feel
it suffers from two related issues. One, song selection wise, they
focus a ton on their 4th album, which is fine, but it means you're
basically getting a redo of their most recent album, just live this
time. And the second related issue is that the songs are so similar to
their album versions that there isn't a lot of new here to get excited
about. Obviously the band isn't gonna improvise a ton, but adding some
new stuff to the songs, or a new take on a song would give us something
unique to this CD. They do end the concert with 'Lune', one of my
favorite songs from them, so that gives bonus points, but not sure this
live album is worth it if you have all their other material. Well done,
but lacking.
- Periphery
V: Djent Is Not a Genre (2023) A step up from their last album.
While not bad by any means, Periphery IV just didn't have as many
standout riffs as their previous work, and this album is a little more
balanced with the super catchy memorable stuff. Case in point, track 1,
"Wildfire", the first two minutes are pretty standard heavy but
indistinct Meshuggah like chugging. But then the chorus kicks in and
does a chord progression I feel I've never heard before. An hour later,
the riff is playing in my head while I'm doing something else.
Catchiness achieved! Track 2 is a heavy but poppy song that makes all
sorts of chord twists and turns. Then the song 'Silhouette' is almost a
boy band electronic ballad (not really my thing, but points for really
pushing the envelope). 'Zagreus' pushes the heaviness again, and then
the album ends with 2 10min+ long songs, including 'Thanks Nobou',
captures both the heaviness and more melodic elements of the band
before ending with a movie score style keyboard piece. Overall, a very
satisfying album.
PERVERTED
DEXTERITY:
- Alacrity for Contemptuous Dissonance (2021) Been listening to a lot of metal recently
where it's easy to say where they got their sound. These guys sound
like Dying Fetus! These guys sound like Carcass! These guys sound like
Immolation! This band is harder to nail down, and so I have to give
them the award for sounding familiar while not really sounding like
anyone in particular. In general, the usual formula of super fast
guitars over top inhuman blasts and doublebass. But they also add a lot
of squawks to the mix, as well as atonal bits that sound vaguely like
modern Gorguts (the name of the album does contain "Dissonance"
afterall). Super thick guitar sound, intense, intense music. A few good
songs like the main riff in 'Cataclysmic Phantasmal Portrait' that's
quite memorable, but other parts are just too violent and fast to
really stick with you, beyond that vague sensation of your ears being
violated. Enjoyable album overall, well worth a listen.
PESSIMIST:
- Cult Of The Initiated (1997) Good straight ahead death metal. Don't expect
anything too original, but this release managed to keep my attention
with some nice riffs and some good songs. Vocal styles range from
growling to black metal screams. The production is good with lots of
bass and a thick sound. The band isn't quite as tight as I like, but it
does give it a more live feeling. Anyways, so not much innovation, but
better than a lot of the stuff out
there.
- Blood For The Gods (1999) A surprisingly vicious second album. While in
a
similar vein to their last album, the band turns up the intensity a
notch,
and still manages to write memorable songs. The production is great,
plenty
of bass and treble. The drums are strong in the mix, but it doesn't
detract.
The band really has a good balance of intensity vs memorable riffs, not
just
blasting for blastings sake, but to push the songs where they need to
be.
Plenty of tremolo picking, squawks and lower chugging. A very solid
release,
worth the cash.
- Slaughtering the Faithful (2002) Similar to their last album, but I don't like
the production as much. Seems kinda muffled on the top end. Drum wise,
lots
of blasting and double bass, in fact it's mostly double bass through
the
entire album like that guy in Krisiun. Definitely a brutal over the top
album, fast fast playing with some angry vocals, and good songs. If you
liked their previous album, you'll probably like this one.
- Keys
To The
Underworld (2018, Single) It's been 16 since the last Pessimist.
And we finally get, well, a single. Why not a new album? Well, I guess
we should be happy with what we get, even if 3 minutes and 49 seconds
of new music in 16 years seems a bit thin. The style of this song is
pretty much identical to their previous work, although the recording
quality has gone up a notch. And the riffs are indeed memorable and
fast. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new chapter for the band,
and the next track comes much faster.
PESTILENCE:
- Malleus
Maleficarum (1988)
- Consuming
Impulse (1989)
- Testimony
of the Ancients (1991) A pretty straight forward death metal
album. Overall they sound a lot like the band Death, although since
this band is a contemporary with Death, maybe they both stole a little
from each other. A great example is the song 'Presence Of The Dead',
which could easily be off of Death's "Individual Thought Patterns",
which came out 2 years later. In between each song is a more
experimental interlude, which helps break up the album. Strong songs
are the key here, even though this album is old and may not have the
best production, the songs are strong and so this is well worth getting.
- Spheres
(1993) Every once in awhile you get a death metal album that's so
different, it changes everything. Like Gorguts' "Obscura" album. I
remember someone I knew who was friends with the band told me "Their
new album is going to be revolutionary!", and I was like "Really?
Gorguts? I mean, they're a good band, but they're not exactly
progressive." Then I head the album, and I was like "Wow, he was right,
this is something totally new". And of course, as happens frequently
with something new, a ton of people say "This sucks, why doesn't the
band do more stuff like their older material". Then years later, the
album is considered a classic and has influenced a ton of people. Well,
I was told a very similar story about Pestilence's "Spheres" album, a
small death metal band from Holland who decided to do something really
different. So I finally grabbed this album, and it is indeed pretty
different. The songs all contain basically two threads. The first
thread contains all the trapping of a normal death metal band, raspy
lyrics, doublebass, lots of thrashing riffs. But the second thread is
the guitar synth that is played overtop. The synth is very avant-guard,
you've all heard the style, notes seemingly played at random creating
something super unharmonic. So you have these two things played
together, and it works sometimes, and other times not so much, but
regardless, it's an interesting experiment and I can see why this album
grew on people over the years. One of the best example of things
clicking is the song 'Personal Energy', where the synth and the band
work together towards a common goal, as opposed to other songs where
they are doing something so completely different that it's like you're
listening to two different songs at the same time. I also wish the
production value was better, everything is mixed quite quiet without a
lot of bass. The closest thing I've ever heard to this would be Fred
Thordendal's "Special Defects", which was also inspired by jazz and
avant-guard music. Anyways, highly recommended album, it may take a
number of listens to get into, but even if you hate it, I bet you'll
still be impressed with how creative it is.
- Resurrection
Macabre (2009) While the band's heyday was
in the early 90s, I never really got into them, so the review of this
their comeback CD will have to be given without the context of their
original work. The band overall sounds a lot like Exmortem, straight
forward death metal that's medium fast in spots, some slower chunkier
parts, and a few odd sounding chord progressions that remind me a
little bit of Immolation. The vocalist is midranged and sound a lot
like the guy from Morta Skuld if you remember that band (or just a tiny
touch of Obituary would be another good comparison). Overall, the album
is very solid, nice riffs, nice production (the guitar sound is
especially nice when palm muting), my only real issue is that the songs
are too simple. They tend to repeat riffs a lot, over and over again,
so at the end of the song you may have only heard 3-4 different riffs.
So while the songs are a little simple for my taste, at least the riffs
they do play are great riffs. Nothing out of the ordinary or
revolutionary here, but really well played death metal, I found the CD
very enjoyable.
- Doctrine (2011)
With their previous CD growing on me everyday, I was excited to hear
about their new one on the way. And it didn't disappoint. Same general
style, fantastic guitar tone again, the thing I really love is the
unexpected riffs, lots of odd chord progressions that make
listening to the CD a lot of fun. This CD has a few more odd fills to
it, a nod to the band's more progressive jazz influenced past I
suppose, like the bass player uses a number of slaps and slides in the
same general style as Steve DiGiorgio from Death. Really high quality
songs, this album will be in my daily rotation for quite awhile.
- Obsideo
(2013) Really impressive album. In the same vein as their last two, but
everything seems to be gelling just a little more. Love all the
dissonant riffs, also some samples and keyboard reminiscent of their
highly progressive "Spheres" album. And the guitar tone is just
spectacular, every time they palm mute it just feels like a sick ugly
monster. Good mix of fast and slow stuff, my favorite song is probably
'Saturation', it's short, but has so many twisted low heavy riffs.
Gotta recommend this one highly, the riffs are high quality, it has
enough experimentation to keep things interesting, and just fantastic
sound. Well done guys!
- Hadeon
(2018) An interesting experiment for the band. Or is this their new
direction? Regardless, this album has some of the progressive parts of
the band, such as the odd atonal riffs. But strips away 99% of the
keyboards, and shifts more towards an old school death metal format
with verse chorus, verse chorus, bridge, solo, verse chorus. It's like
they've decided to try and write a retro album not unlike their first
album. Like they discovered an earlier album that they had never
released. The result is decent, but I do miss the more progressive
elements the band experimented with later (there are a few exceptions
to this general rule, such as the odd vocal effects in the song 'Astral
Projection', and a bass solo in 'Subvisions'). The mix is also a little
odd, it's very clean, like it's been smoothed out, some of the raw
energy replaced. I much preferred the harsher sound of "Obsideo". So in
terms of where the band seemed to have been going, it's a bit of a
diversion. But as a classic style death metal album, it certainly gives
me that 90s nostalgia. Well worth a listen.
- Exitivm
(2021) The follow up to the more old school "Hadeon", and it's a bit of
a return to form. So returning after their hiatus are the keyboards,
and they are well integrated into the music. Also back is the sharper
guitar tone, which is a welcome element after the less distorted tone
from the last one. But my biggest issue is that they kept the somewhat
simpler song structure from the last album, especially towards the
beginning. A number of the songs are at a single midpaced tempo, and
the riffs play again and again before moving onto the next, without a
ton of fills or bridge elements to spice things up. Even the highly
impressive doublebass work is pretty much straight pummeling without a
lot of variation. That doesn't mean the songs are bad, and the later
tracks I feel have a little more bite, like the title track has some
great odd chunky riffs and then some disquieting keyboards in the
"chorus" section for example. And 'Immortvos' has a really nice chunk
and dive bomb riff in the center that's a real ear grabber. But I hope
next time they keep pushing on the progressive parts, and vary the
tempo and time signatures a bit more.
PIG DESTROYER:
- Terrifyer (2004) Some
of the most intense grindcore
you're likely to find. After a short intro, expect an instant ear
shattering scream, a scream so piercing you're likely to lose control
of your vehicle if you foolishly decided to take your first listen in
the car like I did, so be-warned, may cause car wrecks. Style wise,
this is less Nasum and more Cephalic Carnage, however, unlike CC they
retain a pretty consistent style all the way through, no strange
diversions into freeform jazz, just screaming and blasting.
Productionwise, it's all about treble, the nails on the chalkboard
effect, whether it be the guitars, the apparent complete lack of bass
guitar or the vocals. That's usually a bad thing in my book since I'm a
bass fan, but considering how integral the treble motif is to their
style and how effective it is, I feel comfortable putting it into the
category of style and not bad engineering. The vocalist is especially
harsh, whether yelling or screaming, is he using a megaphone? Because
his voice has that same tin-y quality you get from shouting into one.
21 tracks, most less than a minute, expect a lot of super speed
craziness with a few rockin bits here and there. Like a tornado that's
just blown down your house, Pig Destroyer is fast, furious, extremely
vicious, and you may need a little peace and quiet afterwards to
recover from the experience.
- Phantom
Limb (2007) All you've come to expect from the band, just done
even better. The mix is vastly improved (with more bass, even though
the sound still favors the treble). Plenty of vicious screams through
that megaphone, super fast guitars, ridiculous drumming. The songs on
this CD really shine compared to Terrifyer, with quite a number of cool
and memorable riffs. Not that their last album had bad songs, these are
just a little catchier overall. The drumming could be a little tighter,
but considering the focus of the band on being super crazy,
it's not that much of a detraction. This music really makes you want to
move, whether you're at home, in the office, on the bus, you just wanna
grab something and smash it. Grindcore fans, this is a must purchase.
- Book
Burner (2012) Don't expect any major style changes here, the
band hasn't re-invented themselves or anything. Just fast and furious
grindcore. The recording quality has gone down a notch sadly, general
lack of bass guitar again, not as bad as "Terrifyer", but I preferred
the mix on "Phantom Limb" a lot more. The songs are good, the energy is
terrific, your ears will indeed be brutalized. If you liked their other
albums, you'll eat this one up guaranteed.
- Head
Cage (2018) More intense grindcore in all the right ways, and
damn, the good production is back and in spades! An excellent mix that
really smacks you in the face, probably their best sound yet. The ratio
of groove to pure speedy blasting is a little more on the groove side
this time, but still expect plenty of pure grinding moments. Material
from this album is going to kill live, this music is meant for moving
and I can just see the carnage in the pit. Great album, get your copy
today.
- The
Octagonal Stairway (2020, EP) 5 song + 1 intro EP from the band.
The first 3 tracks have been previously released as singles or on
promotional albums, and are the usual buzzsaw grindcore we expect. But
then the EP shifts into a more industrial / doom zone, starting with a
1 minute intro where we get to listen to a news broadcast about
disasters, followed by 2 tracks (one of which is 11 minutes) of slow
pounding drum machines with sampled rain and spoken word segments
speaking of the doom of society. Nine Inch Nails would be proud. Kinda
fun having the album split this way, worth grabbing for the first 3
songs alone (if you don't already have them), and the rear end of the
album is good atmospheric music for 3 am when you don't specifically
need your head ripped off.
PIT OF TOXIC
SLIME:
- The
Ferocious Conquest of
the Slum (2017) Brutal
Death Metal from Italy in the same general style as Devourment. So lots
of slow groovy bits followed by crazy spurts of gravity blasts and
tremolo picking. Imagine groovy metal with the occasional seizure.
Drums are provided by Davide Billia (is there any Italian death metal
band this guy doesn't do drums for?) and are the usual combination of
insane tightness and insane speed. While there isn't a ton of variety
here, the songs have plenty of good riffs, the guitar sound is nicely
distorted and smash to the face brutal, and overall if you're a fan of
the sub genre, this release is highly recommended. Now just tel me how
we're supposed to chant a band name like this after the show?
PLANET X:
- Universe
(2000) Reviewed by The Wolf: Debut album by the 'band' Planet X
(not to be confused with
Derek Sherinian's first solo album by the same name), which by
Sherinian's account will "[play] their instruments so fiercely,
that they would strike fear in the hearts of all musicians".
This is a solid collection of music, and definitely sets the tone for
what to expect from this band, but it's not their strongest. The
production is a bit flat, and some tracks seem to drag replaying the
same themes over and over. It feels like they are holding back
somewhere. When leads and solos do come, they are great and complement
the main groove of the song. Must hear: "Clonus", "Dog Boots",
"Warfinger".
- Moonbabies
(2002) Reviewed by The Wolf: This is the album blows
their
debut out of the
water. I'm not sure what changed, the line-up is fairly the same. Maybe
Donati wrote a few more songs? Regardless, we're presented with more
up-tempo songs with much more interesting themes. Leads and solos
appear sooner, and more frequently. The production is slightly more
lively. These songs contain much more interaction between the guitar
and keyboards. The drumming is also amazing, Donati sounds like a
completely different animal. Must hear: "Moonbabies", "The Noble
Savage", "Interlude in Milan".
- Quantum
(2007) Reviewed by The Wolf: After a long break, the band returns with
probably its
the best effort by far, eventhough most all songs are credited to
Donati. The songs are slower paced, with less technical acrobats, but
all the themes are strong and memorable. (I think each musicians
performance within these themes are the technical acrobats.) This time
we've got excellent production, which each instrument sitting perfect
in the mix. Donati reinvents himself again, and also includes his 1999
song 'Alien Hip Hop'. This guy is like 50, still slammin' away with
surgical prescion. We also have a few more special guests, and songs
which seem to have been written specifically for them. Must hear:
"Alien Hip Hop", "The Thinking Stone", "Quantum Factor".
POLLUTED INHERITANCE:
- Afterlife (1991, Demo)
- Ecoside
(1992) The songs are very catchy, well written, and their speed is
unparalleled in virtually all respects (they have lots of nice
slow riffs as well.) The guitars sound like an angry hive of hornets,
and
the double kicks are the fastest in the business.
- Demo '94 (1994, Demo)
- Betrayed (1996) I was disappointed with this CD. The double
kicks are very low in the mix, you can barely hear them (the whole
production needs more bass and a thicker sound). Definitely one of the
most technically proficient bands I've heard, but the songs have so
many changes and are in such weird time signatures that it's difficult
to find any decent groove in them. Probably too technical for it's own
good.
- Promo CD '98 (1998, Demo) Similar in vein to their last CD, but
the
song writing has vastly improved. I still miss the incredibly brutal
speedy
style of their first CD, but this promo is a great example of what I'd
have
to call "musicians metal". The rhythms are complex with a capitol "C",
the
band remains tight but still has this loose, improvised quality to the
performance. The production is quite good, especially for a demo, with
only minimal
noise, and decent bass. And, as mentioned before, good song writing,
which
is needed to hold such complex riffs together and to keep listener
interest.
Probably not of interest to people who just want to mosh, but good
listening
music, especially for other musicians.
- Into Darkness (2001) While
still not as intense as their "Ecoside" cd, this is a lot closer to
those
roots than "Betrayed" was. Good song writing and plenty of interesting
hooks makes for good listening. This is not the "go for the throat"
style
of cd, rather it's a strong collection of complex rhythms, alternate
picking
and offbeat fills. As I said of their last demo, "Musicians music", but
not so complex as to go over the head of the casual listener. Fans of
thrash
or technical death would do well to take a listen.
PROJECT:
FAILING FLESH:
- A
Beautiful Sickness (2003) Rooted strongly in the tech metal
sector (or math metal, depending on your preference), Project: Failing
Flesh incorporates some of the vibe of a simpler Meshuggah with the
symphonic elements of Anacrusis' "Screams And Whispers" album.
Basically, it's thrash with a few blast beats thrown in now and again,
and some keyboard and string elements. Overall, the combination proves
to be quite effective. It was actually a nice surprise, putting the CD
into my player I wasn't really expecting something this good.
Production is excellent, it's self produced but better than most
bigname studio recordings out there. Riff wise, some complex time
signature stuff with some more chugging riffs, very tight, complex
drums but nothing unnecessarily technical, vocals are screamed
throughout. If I had one knit it would be at a few of the songs tend to
meander a bit too much, the songwriting could be just a tad tighter,
but that's something that comes with age and experience. Ok, two knits,
the name of the band is a bit long, you want something snappier so you
can chant it at concerts with ease, that ain't gonna happen here :)
Anyways, I'll be very interested hearing more from this band in the
future, this cd is well worth grabbing. Watch out for this band in the
future.
- The
Conjoined (2007) There's gotta be nothing worse than having a
completed album who's release date just keeps getting pushed back. With
an originally intended release date of Spring 2006, "The Conjoined" is
finally available for mass consumption over a year later, and the
results are pretty darn cool. First off, the production on this CD is
bigger than their last. Perhaps its a few extra overdubs, or just a
touch of reverb, but the guitar sound on this cd isn't as dry as on "A
Beautiful Sickness" (not that the old production was bad, it's just if
you're gonna change things, this was a cool way to change 'em).
Otherwise, it's pretty similar to their debut. This band has a solid
math metal / thrash foundation, and on top they experiment with
strings, horns, keyboards, and various synth sounds. But the thing I
really like about this CD is they rarely let the experimentation get
out of hand. The weirdness tends to complement the songs, instead of
hijacking them. My current favorite track is 'Surface Noise', which has
this awesome sludgy riff which is doubled on horns. The speedy album
opener 'Final Act Of Treachery' is a nice one as well. Perhaps another
fast song in the middle would have helped the pacing a bit, but
optherwise things flow pretty well. If you enjoy thrash or math metal,
and enjoy a band that's trying something a little different, check this
cd out, it's impressive stuff.
- Count
Back From Ten (2010) Another solid release from the band. They
sure know how to keep things interesting. The first track is sort of
tribal / industrial with some good pounding drums. Track 2, 'White
Light Response' (my favorite on the album), is the speediest song, with
some good blast beats and excellent thrashy riffs. And just when you
think the track is a pretty straight forward song, they add a few odd
piano samples in there that compliment the music perfectly. Track 3 is
just the slowest, sludgiest thing, which uses the whammy bar (or is it
the pedal?) to great effect. The slow pace also gives the album a good
breathing spot after the first two faster tunes. I won't go into
details on every song, but you get the idea, lots of variety and each
song is definitely it's own thing. The only other track I'll mention is
a cover of Prong's 'Irrelevant Thoughts', it's well done, although I
wish the band had modified it a bit more and gotten a little more
experimental with it. I also got a bit of a laugh when I realized that
Prong comes right after Project: Failing Flesh alphabetically in my
itunes, so I can play either this version or the original without the
need to scroll. The production, as always, is excellent. If you like
something a little thrashy/industrial with some groove, and just a
touch experimental, I definitely recommend this album, it's really
enjoyable.
PRONG:
- Primitive Origins (1987)
- Force Fed (1988)
- Beg To Differ (1990) The drums
are simple and to the point, and keep a strong pounding rhythm. The
riffs over top are nice and crunchy, and the tunes, while almost
commercial in their simplicity, are
catchy and well thought out. A good, strong album.
- Prove You Wrong (1991) This is the transition album between
the metal "Beg To Differ" and the Dance-metal "Cleansing", and as with
any transition, they're not always smooth, and sometimes it takes 2
albums to get it right. Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are great songs that show off
the band's ability to make an unusual sounding song with riffs that are
actually quite ordinary (thanks to one hell of a good groove and
inventive phrasing). Track 4, the title track, is just bad, some sort
of jazzy rock thing that is totally out of place. Track 5 is better,
but Track 7 is this slow plodding things that lacks energy. Basically
it's hit or miss for the rest of the album, when the band is good,
they're good, but when they're bad, my finger reaches for that track
skip button. Productionwise, the sound is sort of far away, slightly
muffled, similar to the production off "Beg To Differ". I can still
recommend getting this album because it does have some good tracks, but
if you have an ipod or cd burner, you may wish to remove a few songs
for optimum listening enjoyment.
- Whose Fist Is This Anyway? (1992, EP)
- Cleansing (1993) While the singer sounds like a hoarse Brian
Adams, and the drummer is just this side of dance, the incredibly
powerful and
brutal guitar sound reminds the listener that this is still metal. And
I
don't think there's anyone on this earth who can say that "Snap your
fingers,
snap your neck" isn't a great song.
- Rude Awakening (1996) Continuing where the last album left off.
Razor
sharp guitar riffs ontop of simplistic dance oriented drum beats
(acoustic and programmed). As always the songs are real catchy, the
production is
great. Their last album I tend to find myself only listening to the
first
4 songs over and over again, this album is a little more solid all the
way
through, later songs holding their own against the songs that begin the
album. Only other differences is the drums seem even more dance
oriented
this time, and the chunky riffs have even more squawks, provided by
everyone's
friend the whammy pedal. No surprises here, if you liked their last
album,
more of the same.
- 100% Live (2002) Well, Prong has returned, or at least, Tommy
Victor has returned with a new band playing Prong tunes. This is sort
of a "Hey, we're back" kinda live recording, a precursor to a new
studio album early next year, and as far as that goal is concerned,
it's quite successful.
As for whether this is a must have cd, well, the tunes are say 85% to
95%
as good as their studio album equivalents, with very little crowd
interaction, studio quality production and no extended songs, so really
there's nothing sensationally different here (although there is one new
song performed
which is pretty decent). If you already have all their albums, this
live
cd is probably not 100% necessary. But it does get me excited about a
new
album, so hey, take it for what it's worth, a reintroduction to a good
band,
and a promise for some good shit to come.
- Scorpio Rising
(2004) First off, this album has a lot of things going against
it. Number 1, while Tommy Victor is and has always been the main force
behind the band, he's the only remaining member in the group from their
last album. Number 2, there's been a 8 year gap between albums. And 3,
the whole reunion thing usually goes badly with respect to new music, a
band that was popular gets back together to relive some glory from the
past, and really they have nothing left to say musically. Well, I am
happy to report that this absolutely NOT the case. The result in fact
is probably one of my favorite Prong albums to date. The sound is
similar to what we know, but with a few enhancements. First, the
drumming is slightly more rock oriented, rather than the very simple
drumming on "Rude Awakening" or "Cleansing". Second, Tommy experiments
with his vocals a bit more, doing a little more singing, etc, some work
better than others, but overall the variety is nice. But primary to
keeping my interest of course are the songs, and there's some really
good stuff here. Quite a variety of sounds and moods, and riffs that
stick in your head. In fact, it's almost annoying how hard it is to get
these songs out of your brain, ahhhhh!!!. I keep trying to listen to
other cds, but half way through the cd I realize I'm humming a tune
from the new Prong. Make the voices go away! One funny song note is
there's a tune on the cd that is almost 100% identical to "Snap Your
Fingers", just with different riffs. The song structure is almost
identical, and the feel of the riffs are identical, even though the
actual notes being played are different. Kinda strange, a tip of the
hat I guess, since it's obvious from the rest of the songs the band
isn't hurting for ideas. Anyways, if you like the band, you MUST get
this album as soon as you can.
- The
Vault (2005, DVD) 2 DVD set with 3 shows (after their return in
2002) and behind the scenes stuff. The first show is 20 songs from 2002
in the Netherlands. The camerawork has a nice and even pace to it, and
plenty of different vantage points. Performance wise, they play a lot
of material from all their albums, and they play most of their best
songs (including 'Snap Your Fingers', 'Whose Fist Is This Anyways',
'Beg To Differ', 'Controller', and ends with 'Cure Rate', even though
the DVD labels it as 'Unconditional'). The sound is excellent with a
thunderous bass, and the guitartone is very percussive with very little
tone going on, which makes for an abrasive sound that I really dig. And
the band is certainly tight, when they cut a not off, it's just gone.
The second is a short 6 song set at the outdoors "With Full Force"
festival, 5 song of which are repeated songs from the last concert.
Again, excellent production, just a little less highend treble, so the
sound is more low and rumbling than razorblade sharp. The third show is
13 songs from The Hultsfred Festival in 2003. Again, fantastic
production (a little more reverb this time), and a rendition of 'Inner
Truth' and 'Avoid Promises' off the new record, as well as again
several repeats (All 3 shows include copies of 'Snap Your Fingers',
'Whose Fist Is This Anyways' and 'Another Worldy Device'). The behind
the scenes stuff has a few super short interviews and a few bootleg
quality show clips, nothing vital. By putting 3 excellent concerts
together (even with the repeated songs), this DVD manages to get my
recommendation. If they decide to do a new DVD in the future, I'd like
to see some more in-depth interviews and maybe a show or two with the
original lineup, but otherwise this is good stuff and I really enjoyed
watching it.
- Power
Of The Damager (2007) Not quite as good as their last
album, but still pretty damn awesome. Style wise, this album is a
little more metal, and a little less dance. So while the band doesn't
totally abandon the style that made albums like "Cleansing" or "Rude
Awakening" so popular, they have made the songs a little harder and
heavier, with way less dance beats, and more double bass. The songs are
more in the vein of their "Beg To Differ" album (but with modern day
production, of course). The only reason I am not totally in love with
this cd is there's a little too much filler material for my taste. But
when the band has it, they really have it, from the chorus on "Power Of
The Damager" to the catchiness of "The Banishment". I'd say at least a
dozen new Prong classics debut on this cd, and for that reason, it's a
must buy, even if some of the later tracks are a little unmemorable.
- Carved
Into Stone (2012) Even further back along the metal path Prong
goes. The metal focus of their last album goes even deeper on this
release, as we're treated to not just fast double bass, but even blast
beats on the first song on the album (don't worry, the dance influence
isn't totally gone). Otherwise, my review is pretty similar to my
review of their last album: They have some great songs like 'List of
Grievances' and the opener 'Eternal Heat', but they also have some
filler material like 'Ammunition' and 'Reinvestigate', so it's a bit of
a mixed bag. The good songs though are great, all the catchiness and
energy you'd expect from the band. But this is definitely the weakest
of their last 3 albums, worth checking into for the good songs, but
you'll probably be hitting "skip" more often than you should be for a
Prong album.
- Unleashed
In The West - Official Bootleg (2014, Live)
- Ruining
Lives (2014) Wow. The band has been going back too their metal
roots as of late, but this album pushes it even further, and is really
by far their angriest and thrashiest album I've heard. They start off
with two fast songs right off the bat to put you in the mood, and then
they do their usual mix or slower stuff, dancier stuff etc, but overall
a lot more speed, doublebass, Skank Beats, etc. I really dig their song
'The Book of Change', not only is it super fast, but the drumming is
fantastic, I rarely comment on Prong's drumming, but the fast fills at
the end are great. And overall the drum sound on the entire album has
some extra clarity and a big big sound. The mix is great, pretty much
all the songs are strong, Tommy's Vocals have some extra girth to them,
an excellent album from the band filled with lots of new classics. It's
great seeing a band that's been around for so long continue to produce
fresh and powerful material. Great job!
- X (No
Absolutes) (2016) This album is a little more laid back compared
to the band's last couple of thrashier releases. A little more groove
going on here, although it still has a few fast songs like 'Sense Of
Ease'. Most of the material is good solid stuff, I really dig 'Cut And
Dry'. But then there's a number of disappointing songs. Like the
singing in 'Do Nothing', which gives the song a sort of ballad feel
that seems out of place. And I'm not crazy about 'Ice Runs Through My
Veins', it just seems way too simple and run-of-the-mill. And the
closer 'With Dignity' has rapping? Overall, its a decent album but with
a few songs that I am likely to skip. Try before you buy, I'd recommend
their last 3 albums more.
- Zero
Days (2017) Now this is more like it. After a bit of a let down
on their last outing, this album has huge energy. Like the first 6
songs are super fast, super powerful, I can imagine the mosh pits going
crazy for this stuff. They amp up the metal a bit for this release, as
well as high quality riffs, stuff that sticks in your brain after only
a single play, stuff that sounds fresh and innovative but still holds
true to the Prong style. Overall, sounds like Prong drank their
coffee and brought their A game, if you dig the band, this is their
best release in years.
- Age
Of Defiance (2019, EP) A short EP of filler material, not vital
to your Prong collection IMO. The first two tracks are new material,
both songs are decent, but don't have any hook that sticks in my brain.
Then the last 3 are live songs, which are pretty rough sounding,
they're soundboard recordings with no crowd sounds so they sound a
little like studio recording, but without the polish you'd expect from
a studio, so they sorta live in this no mans land. Not good enough to
be studio, but doesn't give you the same feel as though you were in the
crowd. And one song I think is even out of tune. So ya, love Prong, buy
their albums, but can't recommend this release.
- State
Of Emergency (2023) What an excellent album. It really starts
with a bang, 'The Descent' is one of the fastest and most brutal Prong
songs I think I've ever heard. They really went full metal for this
opening, I was not expecting it to start off this powerful. Quickly
followed by track 2 which leans more into their groove style. Then the
album continues to trade off exploring all of the styles that Prong is
known for. The standout is the riffs, so many memorable and catchy
hooks, even after a single listen you'll have many of the songs etched
in your mind, and you'll want to hear them again. If I had any
critique, it would be that this album has the bass mixed a little low.
Not "And Justice For all" low, but still I'm used to the bass having a
bigger presence in Prong's other albums. Really well done, Prong keeps
bringing the hits (to the face).
PROPHECY:
- It Shall Come To Pass (1996, Demo)
- Promo 97
(1997, Demo)
- Foretold...Foreseen (1998) Pretty
standard death metal in the early Skinless / Broken Hope / slow parts
of Dying Fetus style. Generally midpaced to slow, low gargly vocals.
Production is good, although possibly a little too much low end without
enough highend. Not much here to differentiate this cd from all the
other stuff out there, but the riffs are pretty memorable, and that's
enough to make me happy I bought it. If you still dig Dying Fetus'
"Bathe In Entrails" demo and wouldn't mind something similar, check it
out.
- Our Domain (2002) A much
better release in pretty much every respect. The production has much
more treble in it without losing the low end. The songs are even more
memorable. And while if you really analyze the songs they do still
sound like Dying Fetus (from a song structure and riff perspective
anyways), upon a casual listen, the similarity is not glaring and as
such they don't come off as a me-too band. One of the really cool bits
about this cd is how the band uses harmonics in their riffs. You know
those Cannibal Corpse songs like 'Pulverized' and 'Orgasm Through
Torture' where the band breaks down to this slow riff with great
squawks? Well, these guys incorporate that stuff into almost every
song, pinch harmonics, natural harmonics, sweep harmonics, you name it.
Lots of very moshable bits. A little faster than their previous release
as well. Only bad thing, the cover artwork is just plain bad. I mean,
I'm sure a lot of people passed this up on the shelf just because the
artwork is so atrocious. Music wise however, very, very impressive
stuff, I'd say this is a must have for fans of the genre.
- Don't Fuckin'
Mess With Texas (2011) After a long hiatus, a new album from the
band. Still plenty of Dying Fetus love here, but the key is the riffs
are fantastic, very, very memorable. Plenty of "Hell ya!" moments. I
love the main riff in 'Reborn Through Death', it has an almost 'God Of
Emptiness' by Morbid Angel doomy vibe to it. And the main riff in the
instrumental 'Death Conceived' is great, highly headbangable. The album
ends with a re-recording of the first song off their first album, which
is good, although I didn't mind the original version, so the
re-recording isn't as necessary. Overall a very satisfying album, glad
the band is back and kickin ass (Texas style, I guess).
- The Beginning
(2016) Pretty similar to
their previous material, although the album
is perhaps a little more vicious, not quite as many moshable bits,
with a stronger focus on blasting and intense screams (this album has a
new vocalist who's more midrange as opposed to the low gargling of
their previous work). The
production quality is missing a little of the bass I enjoyed on
"Texas", and also, the band isn't quite as tight as I'd like in some
spots, which seems odd for a band who's releasing their 4th full length
album, but then again the guitarist / founder James Parks II is the
only returning musician on this album. But despite those small issues,
the song writing is still
excellent and the added energy is certainly a good thing. Fans of early
90s death metal will definitely enjoy this new offering.
- Forseen
Scriptures (2019) Pretty similar to their last few albums. Early
90s style death metal. Generally quite good, my main beef is with the
sound, gone is the bass heavy sound of previous releases, this one is
far more nasally. I like there's a bit more treble in here, but why did
you have to get rid of the bass? In this day and age, you can
successfully have both. Otherwise, song writing is decent, the drumming
is noticeably better, not sure if it's the same guy after a lot of
practice or a new one. 9 regular tracks and then a re-recording of
their 2006 song 'Our Domain'. Prophecy may not release the most
innovative stuff, but they have consistently released good albums, well
worth a listen, especially if you love the traditional death metal
style.
PROTECTOR:
- Protector of Death (1987,
Demo)
- Misanthropy (1987, EP)
- Golem (1988)
- Urm the Mad (1989) Pretty
standard thrash/death metal. Think old Megadeth of the "Peace Sells" or
the "So Far...So Good" era or old Slayer with death metal midrange
vocals.
The drumming is 100% Slayer style, as well as the wild whammy bar
driven
solos. The riffs are good and catchy (a lot of slow plodding riffs,
with
a few faster parts), the production is clean (although the guitars are
a little muffled and with a touch too much reverb), but there's nothing
really here to set the album apart from stuff I've already heard. The
version
I have contains 9 tracks and then 4 live bonus tracks, which have
almost
an identical production to their studio tracks! (maybe the studio
tracks
were actually recorded live without an audience.)
- Going Place (1990, EP)
- Leviathan's Desire (1990)
- A Shedding of Skin (1991)
- The Heritage (1993)
PSYCHO INDUSTRY:
- Crushing The Individual (1999) Caught somewhere between NIN, Fear Factory,
Ministry and videogame music stands the french band Psycho Industry.
Well, not really a band, it's pretty much one guy, Marc Dumont. Music
like this lives and dies by one thing, and that's the groove it
creates, and, well, this album does just fine in that department. It
contains 9 tracks of heavily processed, not quite commercial
techno-industrial music with distorted guitars, thick beats thanks to a
drum machine, and lots of keyboards and samples. The only thing I think
needs some work is the vocals, they work most of the time,
but other times they seem a little incidental and not well worked into
the
music. But the riffs are very original and stick in your brain, it's
hard
to have originality in music that's repetitive in nature, but it's
managed here. Really good songs. If you're a NIN fan or you really like
the Fear
Factory techno remix albums, this is high quality shit and should be
checked
out immediately.
- Psycho
Industry (2003) Whereas their last album was more NIN, this
album (16 tracks for over an hour of music) is far more Rammstein,
mainly due to those lowish sung vocals that make Rammstein so easily
identifiable (and a foreign language, in this case french instead of
german). And that really is my only nit with this album. Otherwise,
things got a little less industrial, a little more guitar driven, the
production has gone up a notch, very mechanical of course with drum
machines and samples. A little less experimental, a little more
straight forward, but the songs are all really catchy, even after just
a single listen I found myself singing along to some of the lyrics. So
as I said, the only thing that bugs me is how many of the vocals sound
way too much like the far more famous german industrial band, which
makes this cd feel a little me-too. I much prefer the yelled vocals of
say 'Man Without Soul', that stuff is intense and original. A step
forward and a bit of a step sideways for the band, fans of NIN and
Rammstein will find plenty to like.
PSYCROPTIC:
- The
Isle Of Disenchantment (2000) Listening to a band's first cd
after listening to their second gives you a certain degree of
perspective. For example, if their first cd is just ok and their second
cd is killer, you can say stuff like "well, this cd older cd is still
worth having just so you can see the band's style in its infancy". In
this case, while certainly not as amazing as "Scepters", "The Isle Of
Disenchantment" in its own right is pretty kick ass and worth owning
based on its own merits. While you can hear some of the style that is
later perfected on their second album, this album is somewhat more
straight forward, something more akin to say the groovy parts of Dying
Fetus. Nice production although a little too bass heavy for my taste
(imagine a good mix and then someone takes a big sword and lops the
head off of the soundwave produced by the music). The songs are catchy
and the band is still plenty tight. In general, I'd still recommend
picking up "Scepters" first, but get this one quickly afterwards.
- The Scepter Of The Ancients (2003) Listening to this cd brought me a moment of
simultaneous sadness and joy. The sadness was that it finally hit me,
Sinister has broken up and I'll never hear their razor sharp ultra
tight music ever again (except in reruns). Then the moment of joy, this
band seems to have picked up where the good Sinister cds stopped. Not
that this band sounds exactly like Sinister, they actually sound a
little closer to Decapitated's "Winds Of Creation" album, but it has
the same "holy fuck how can they play those notes so perfectly in
unison" tight vibe going on. Did I mention these guys are tight? I
mean, holy geez, absolutely perfect picking, and this shit is fast
(there are some slower chunky parts as well to keep things balanced
song wise). The drumming is equally impressive, very fast blasts and
double bass. There's plenty of songs here with a really chunky quick
riff and super insane speedy double bass below while the drummer does
midpaced quarter notes on top. Vocals are varied from low gargles to
crazy high-pitched screams. This is sort of the direction that I had
hoped Decapitated would go in their newest record. Instead they went
towards slightly simpler songs, which is cool, but this cd fills in
that void with very complex riffs that still manage to remain groovy
and catchy, not to mention brutal, heavy, and yes, tight as fuck. And
to top it off, this cd is one of the best mixes I've heard in awhile
with a nice scooped sound and razor sharp guitar tone. Very impressive
stuff, a must buy.
- Symbols
Of Failure (2006) Very similar to their last album, and I think
that's part of the
problem really. Yes, you get the super tight picking, the crazy fast
and intricate drums, the complex songs, and fantastic production, but
there's nothing here
to distinguish it from their last album, and the clincher is the songs
just aren't as catchy. I've listened to the album 4 times now, and I
still can't remember a single specific riff. In my last
review I said this is the direction I wish Decapitated had gone, well,
in the meantime, Decapitated released their "Organic
Hallucinosis" album, which is not only as precise and complex as this
cd, but also
has some really memorable riffs. So comparing the two, I have to go
with Decapitated on this one. That being said, this really is a good
cd, the musicianship is stupendous, and I'll keep listening and maybe
the songs will grow on me. Still worth looking into, but I preferred
"Scepter", and hope the band spends a little more time in the future on
the song writing.
- Ob(Servant)
(2008) So so at best. This CD generally doesn't cover any
new ground, and the riffs just sound kind of bland, sparkle with no
substance. And a lot of the songs seem to lack energy, the album is
still fast, but for some reason it doesn't strike me as having that
spark of inspiration, it just feels like the band is going through the
motions. It's not all bad, I do really like the album closer,
'Initiate', not only does it start with a good spooky clean guitar bit,
but a few of the faster riffs in the heavier portion of the song sound
quite original. But the rest of the album just doesn't grab me. Their
last album got better with age, so I hold out hope that after a year of
listening to this one it may get better, but currently I'm just not
super impressed.
- Initiation
(Live CD/DVD, 2010)
- The
Inherited Repression (2012) While many of the same elements are
here, this album is a little more, shall I say, melodic, than their
previous material. Not melodic in a Melodic Metal sense, more melodic
as in the same way Slayer's "South Of Heaven" album is more melodic
than "Reign In Blood". So overall the album is a little slower, and has
a stronger attempt at creating atmosphere using more catchy riffs.
While I applaud the band going for something a little different, the
melodic bits don't strike me as being super original, and since the
speed has been reduced, it doesn't have that going for it either. The
album is ok, afraid this one and their last just haven't jazzed me
much, I'll stick with their first 3 albums.
- Psycroptic
(2015) Basically picks up where the last album left off. A little more
melodic, not quite as fast and chaotic. Its decent, but really lacks
those "hell ya" moments, riffs that totally stick in your brain and
make you want to listen to them again and again. Going back to an album
like "The Scepter Of The Ancients", there's just no comparison. It just
sounds more vicious. Good but not spectacular, not sure how much
airtime this is gonna get in the future.
- As
The Kingdom Drowns (2018) Another experiment from the band.
Their career started off as fast technical death metal, then they went
a little slower and more melodic on the last couple of albums. Now on
this album, they've upped the speed back again a bit (thumbs up), kept
some of the slightly more straight forward song structures (meh), but
then added keyboards and female choir vocals (WTF?). The choir elements
don't really bother me, but I'm not sure if they really contribute to
the music. It seems the band has decided to take their core sound and
take it in
slightly different directions every album, to see where it can go. At
the end of the day, maybe I'm just old or lack imagination, but I kinda
just like the more straight forward technical death metal band from
their first 3 albums. There are parts of this that sound just like
their earlier material, and then they jump to the choral vocals, and my
brain just goes "Something's not quite right here" (A great example is
the song 'Beyond the Black'). Anyways, this album is still decent, has
some good riffs, is well written, and if you've liked their last couple
of albums, you'll likely dig this as well. But I think I'll stick to
their earlier material.
PUNCHDRUNK:
- Music For Them Asses (1999) Debut for the band (appearing previously on
the
Grrrr! compilation on HDR), the band has three things going for them.
One,
they have Devin Townsend as producer. Second, they have the drum god
Gene
Hoglan perform on the cd, and three, oh ya, the band is actually
talented
:) Almost a spoof cd, they play metal ranging from death metal, to
classic
metal (like exodus) to these crazy country tunes that quickly
degenerate
into speed metal. The concept of the album is that the band is a bunch
of
hicks from Vancouver who just like heavy music. As such, songs are
filled
with strange sound clips and samples, and all kinds of wackiness that
stops
the band from becoming ever truly evil, sort of diet evil. But the
wackiness
is really just the theme, the music itself is really thick and angry,
with excellent production, lots of layered guitars and gene's trademark
quick
spurts on the kicks. Quite a variety of styles and moods here, but
solid
song writing holds everything together, a good buy.
PUNKY BRUSTER:
- Cooked On Phonics (1995???) A silly concept album, revolving around the
story of a fictitious death metal band from poland who become a punk
band in
order to make money. Sound clips of the band's exploits show up during
and in between songs. As far as the music goes, assuming you don't mind
punk, the songs are actually really good, especially considering you
have
Devin Townsend singing, he's always a maniac on vocals. Overall, a nice
album
with some good tunes, satire and plenty of energy. Not to be taken
seriously.
PUTRIDITY:
- Mental Prolapse Induces Necrophilism (2007)
- Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria (2011)
Basically identical to their 'Ignominious Atonement' album. Perhaps the
mix is ever so slightly clearer, but otherwise, ridiculously chaotic
riffs, ridiculous speed, its almost comical. The album is a little
short, but its a load of fun.
- Ignominious Atonement (2015) Disgorge fans rejoice! Putridity does its best
to impress with chaotic time signature changes, ridiculously fast
drums, sqwacks, and overall carnage. The results are certainly
pleasing. I can't say that any of these songs are memorable in the
least, but
the band is just so over the top that for some reason I can't stop
listening. I mean, the drumming is so robotically precise it screams
drum machine, and yet apparently this is a real drummer. The vocals are
so low and gargly. The riffs have such fast picking I'm not even sure
half the time if they're hitting a pitch, and yet the whole band plays
in such perfect unison. The degree of craziness we have here just
brings a smile to
my face. Fans of the brutal death
metal genre will certainly enjoy this, and those just interested in
having your face peeled off will enjoy as well.
- Greedy
Gory Gluttony (2023, EP) Sadly, this just doesn't grab me the
way their last two albums did. First, the sound is kind of muffled, not
as in your face as previous work. Then the drums are not as precise (I
assume because they no longer have Davide Billia doing his thing). And
then the songs don't have as many standout moments that grab you by the
neck and demand attention. 4 new songs, then a cover of Cannibal
Corpse's 'Ecstasy in Decay'. This EP is ok, but if you're new to the
band, I'd recommend "Degenerating" or "Ignominius" more.
PUTRID PILE:
- Collection
Of Butchery (2003)
- The
Pleasure In Suffering (2005)
- House
Of Dementia (2009)
- Blood Fetish (2012) One man brutal death metal band. My first
thought is wow, drum machines have come a long way in the last 20
years. You can still kinda tell, but it's far more organic sounding
than a lot of the drum machines out there. The band sounds in general
like Pathology. Plenty of blasts and double bass, good solid riff based
death metal with the occasional Cannibal Corpse like tremolo, and
midrange to low gargled vocals. The songs are all pretty darn good,
it's obvious that Shaun is an excellent song writer, and his skill on
guitar is right up there with the best of them. And the production
quality and mix are also excellent. As one man bands go, this album is
one of the better ones, and well worth checking out.
- Paraphiliac
Perversions (2016) My first thought is "man, the production
quality really went down on this one". Overall it's pretty similar
material, still great guitar work, great riffs, but the sound is really
really muffled. Like someone put a big sock over the speaker. For some
reason the drums also feel a little more mechanical this time, not sure
why since I assume he's using the same drum machine. Great song titles,
I remember after album 5 or so, Cannibal Corpse's song titles became
more tame, well, this guy keeps the original tradition going with tunes
like 'My Semen Rots In You' and 'Puke On It'. Since the riffs are still
good, I'd still say this is worth checking out, but hopefully the next
album will go back to the clearer production of "Blood Fetish".
- Revel
In Lunacy (2020) The one man show continues. Thankfully the good
sound is back for this release after "Paraphiliac" that was super oddly
mixed. Great riffs and songs as usual, these tunes may in fact be some
of the best yet. My favorite song is probably 'No Rest for the Wicked',
which has a nice Morbid Angel vibe to it. Not much to say that hasn't
already been said in previous reviews, if you were a little iffy after
the mix on the last album, have no fear, this one kick serious ass.
PUTRIFIED J:
- Annihilating
The Weak (2022) A 2 man band from Belgium,
one vocalist, one guitar player and programmed drums. Its funny, this
band comes right after the band Putrid Pile in alphabetical order, and
there's tons of similarities, both are a 1/2 man affair, and both play
a similar style of brutal death metal. Plenty of good riffs, the drum
machine isn't as natural as some which detracts a bit. But there's
plenty of moshable material here, and good hooks to keep you listening.
A good solid album.
PYAEMIA:
- Cranial Blowout (1998, EP)
- Cerebral Cereal (2000)
Another Unique Leader release, which is probably more than enough
description to
give you a good idea what these guys sound like. Ok, I'll give more
details
anyways, Pyaemia is somewhere between Disavowed, Dying
Fetus, Vomit
Remnants and Disgorge. Pretty standard death metal with lots of
blasting,
squawks, fast double bass, low gargly vocals. The drums, despite
appearing
to be a real kit in the booklet, sound very mechanical, at least a few
of
his cymbals are sampled for sure in the Vomit Remnants style. Good
production,
the songs are interesting and catchy, I guess my only real problem is
that
you'd have a hard time telling this band from many of the other bands
on
the label. There are a few different bits, like this one warbling riff
at
the beginning of 'Impaled on Stakes' that is very cool. For overall
innovation
look elsewhere, but if you're digging the other stuff on Unique
Leader,
and want to hear more in the same style, these guys do deliver high
quality
stuff.
PYREXIA:
- Liturgy
Of Impurity (1990, Demo)
- Sermon
Of Mockery (1993)
- Hatredangeranddisgust
(1995, Demo)
- System
Of The Animal (1997) Merging elements of death metal and
hardcore, the result is something pummeling, groovy and really pissed
off. Fans of Scar Culture or Chimaira will get the general drift,
vocals remain more death metal like (think Frank from Suffocation), but
the band tends to remain a little more on the groove side of things,
moshable riffs that then jump to something faster and heavier, then
back again. The drumming is pretty awesome, lots of fast double bass
underneath midpaced snare drum, followed by occasional blast beats. The
guitar sound is very thick, wall of sound type stuff. There's plenty of
memorable riffs in here, although the songs themselves tend to bleed
together slightly due to a slight lack of variety. An extra intro or
two or something a little lighter that then moves into something heavy
may have been good as landmarks in the never-ending sea of anger. Also,
at 8 songs and 23 minutes, this is a pretty short album, I want more!
More I say! Hard to find but well worth getting.
- Cruelty
Beyond Submission (2003, Rare)
- Age
of the Wicked (2007) Totally different from their last album in
'97. First off, the band only has founding member Chris Basile
(guitars) left. Second, much of the groove and hardcore influences are
gone from the first part of the album, leaving something sorta similar
to Morbid Angel, and something a little more rockin in the last 3 songs
(which
were recorded a year earlier). In fact, much of the cd sounds pretty
similar to Morbid Angel's "Covenant" album (especially the drum sound
and patterns in their first song are quite reminiscent of 'Rapture').
As far as production goes, I guess the word is muffled, but it's not
the normal muffled. The guitar sound lacks attack, lacks definition.
It's big and bassy, but you can't hear the pick hitting the strings.
Imagine taking the guitar sound and placing it in a blender until you
get something too smooth. Maybe they suffered from too many overdubs?
It's also very obvious that tracks 8-10 were recorded at a different
time with a shift in production style. A few of the songs are cool, but
many others are a little repetitive. I don't know, I guess a lot
of the spark of their older material just seems gone to me. The band
has the right attitude, and right level of anger (some of the screamed
vocals are particularly good). But they need a few unique riffs, better
production, and more variety to the songs. The whole thing just seems
sorta rushed to me, like the cd is slapped together. "Hey, we have
several different sessions of music, lets stick them together and get
something out there so we can start touring." I'd much prefer if they'd
recorded everything in a single studio session, fine tuned the sound
and performance, and came to the fans with a single unified and
powerful vision. Not a bad album, but a step backwards from "System Of
The Animal".
- Feast
Of
Iniquity (2013) Much closer to "System Of The Animal", with more
groove, more thrashier bits, but they still keep a little of the flavor
of their last album. The result is a much more varied and in my opinion
a much more successful album. Plenty of good quality riffs, and the
production is nice and thick again, definitely a good mix. Nothing
revolutionary, but a good comeback album after a 6 year hiatus, well
worth checking out.
- Unholy
Requiem (2018) After a 5 year wait, this album is a big letdown.
The music is decent, good old school 90s style death metal, but the
sound quality is insanely horrible. Everything is super muffled. It
sounds like the first demo from a new band, not like the production
you'd get from 20 year veterans. I am just stumped as to why the band
would allow their music to sound so bad. I did my best to ignore the
sound and try and focus on the songs, but it's just so off that the
task became really impossible. Gotta give this one a must miss.
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